Disconnecting switch



Dec. 10, 1940. H. J. CRABBS ETAL YDISCONNECTING, SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 17, 1939 WITNESSES:

1940- H. J. CRABB S ETAL.

DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed May 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSATTORNEY d W 5 M m C M M y WITNESSES: 0 flrmaw Patented Dec. 10, 1940DISCONNECTING SWITCH Herbert J. Crabbs and Herbert L. Rawlins,Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric & ManufacturingCompany, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationMay 17, 1939, SerialN 0. 274,1 2 17 Claims. (c1. 200-162) tact memberreadily accessible for future operation, and also to serve as a signalto indicate the open condition of the switch and to maintain properelectrical clearances from metal parts below the switch.

Heretofore switches of this type have employed separate stop means asattachments to stand- 20 ard disconnecting switches to limit the openingmovement of the switch and this necessitated the use of difierent typesof such attachments for limiting the opening movement to difierentangular positions. w

. It is an object of this invention to provide a stop means integralwith the switch which. is simple in design and economical tomanufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a stop meansintegral with the switch which 3 can be utilized to stop the openingmovement of the switch at difierent angular positions from the closedposition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide -a stop for adisconnecting switch which can be utilize-d to lock the switch in anopen position. I

These and other objects will become apparent in connection with thefollowing description taken with the attached drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved switch embodying our novelstop'means with the switch shown in closed position,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the pivoted end of the movable contactmember showing the stop means in one limiting position,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the stop means in anotherlimiting position, and

Fig; 5 is -a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the switch locked in an openposition.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the embodiment asillustrated is a split-blade disconnecting switch and our inventionconsists, 55 of a movable switch blade or contact member I ber I3 ispivoted on the movable contact member to the movable contact member I.

comprising the spaced parallel side membersv 2 pivoted at one end on apivot pin'3 which, in turn, is carried by a.hinge tongue or base part 4mounted on the insulating support 6 and positioned between the sides ofthe blade I. The 5 hinge tongue or basepart I embodies a laterallyextending connector part 5 to which a lead may be connected. A fixedcontact tongue or membar I is provided on the insulating support 8 andalso includes a laterally extending terminal connector portion 9. Inclosed position the movable blade or contact member I engages with thefixed contact member I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A latch member I0 ispivoted on the fixed contact member I and is urged in the-clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 2, by a spring II to engage over a pin I2on the movable blade or contact member I to maintain the movable contactmem her I in closed position. A latch release mem- I and has a portionI3 engaging the latch I0 to release the same from the pin I2. The latchrelease member further embodies an aperture I5 for the reception of ahook operating member to open the switch.

The fixed contact member I is providedwith a groove I6 for the receptionof a bolt II secured The movable contact member I is provided withcontact elements I8 for engaging the terminal part 4 3 and fixed contactmember I, and these together with the latch mechanism described in.connection with this switch are illustrated in and form the subjectsmatter of the copending application of Herbert J. Crabbs. Serial No.180,394, filed December 17, 1937.

The movable blade or contact member I is provided with pairs of spacedapertures I9 and 20 locatedadjacent to but spaced fromlthe pivot axis ofthe movable contact member. These 40 pairs of apertures are provided fortherecep tion of a stop pin 2| removably secured'in position by a cotterpin 2| or the like. The stop .pin 2| extends between members 2 --to beengageable with. a fixed stop 22 provided on the tongue or' base part 4and located between members 2 upon opening movement of the switch. Asshown, stop 22 is of less widththan base part 4 to insure clearance ofblade members 2. The pairs of apertures I9 and 20 are spaced from eachother so that when the stop pinZI is inserted, for example, in the pairsof apertures 20, the opening movement of the switch will be limited at aposition substantially 90 from its closed position, as shown in Fig. 3.If the 2 stop pin is inserted in the apertures [9, the opening movementof the switch will be limited at a point approximately 135 from theclosed position, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus it is apparent 5 that we .haveprovided a stop means for a movable contact member of a switch which canbe adjusted for limiting the opening movement of the switch to diiIerentpositions as desired by the particular operator. Furthermore, if stoppins be inserted in both sets of apertures l9 and 20, as shown in Fig.5, so that the pins lie on opposite sides of the fixed stop member 22,the movable contact member will be locked in a fixed 'open position,thus preventing accidental closure of the switch until at least one ofthe pins are removed. It is thus apparentthat we have not only provideda simplified means for limiting the opening movement of a disconnectingswitch which is built into the switch and is adjustable so that theswitch may be limited in its opening movement to different angularpositions from its closed position, but have also provided a simple andeffective means for positively looking a switch in an open position.

Obviously the apertures I9 and 20 could be located laterally of theswitch member 2 at positions other than those illustrated to limit theopening movement of the switch to any desired open position.

It is further obvious that the stop means disclosed herein could be usedon any known type of disconnecting switch other than that hereindisclosed. Thus, in the application of this stop means to multi-polarswitches, one or more of the blades thereof could be apertured andprovided with a fixed stop and stop pin as in a single pole switch, or asingle stop pin could be pro- .vided of insulating material to extendthrough the aligned apertures of all of .the blades of a 40 multi-polarswitch.

' While in accordance with the patent statutes, we have described in theforegoing, 'details of certain preferred embodiments of our invention,it is to be understood that many of these details are merelyillustrative and variations in their precise form will be both necessaryand desirable in certain instances. It is our intention, thereiore, thatthe language of the accompanying claims shall be accorded the broadestreasonable construction and shall be limited only by what is expresslyset forth therein.

We claim as our invention: 1. In a switch, the combination oi. a basemember, a contact-member pivotally mounted thereon,- cooperating stopmeans on said members,

respectively, one of which is removable, and

means for mounting said removable stop member at different positionsabout the pivot axis of said contact member to limit opening 'movementof said contact member to different selected posi-' tions. J

2. In an electric switch, a. base member, a contact member movablymounted thereon, means limiting movement of said contact member,saidmeans including cooperating stop abutments normally fixed relativeto said members, respectively, at least one of said abutments beingremovable, and means able abutment at diflerent positions on its re- 70spective member, to selectively limit movement of said member.

3. In a switch, the contact member pivotallymounted thereon, astationary contact positioned to be engaged by 75 said movable contactin the closed position of and stop for mounting said removcombination of.a base, a

. fixed contact in the closed position of the the switch, a plurality ofspaced apertures in the movable contact member, and a fixed stop memheron the base positioned to be engaged by a stop pin removably mounted inone 0! said apertures to limit the opening movement of said 5 switch.

4. In a switch, the combination of a base, a contact member pivotallymounted thereon, a stationary contact positioned to be engaged by saidmovable contact in the closed position of the switch, a lurality ofapertures in the movable contact member spaced from the pivot axis ofthe movable contact member and disposed in different angular positionsabout said axis and a fixed stop member on the base positioned to beengaged by astop pin removably mounted in one of said apertures to limitthe opening movement of said switch.

5. In a switch, the combination of a base, a contact member pivotallymounted thereon, a stationary contact positioned to be engaged by saidmovable contact in the closed position of the switch, a plurality ofspaced apertures in the movable contact member, and a'fixed stop mem-'her on the base, at least two of said apertures being positioned to lieon opposite sides of said stop member in an open position of the switch,and stop pins adapted to be removably mounted in said apertures toengage opposite sides of said stop member whereby the switch may belocked in said open position.

6. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidswitch? having spaced apertures,

one of said members a stop member adapted to be removably mounted inrelatively fixed relation in one of said apertures, the other of saidmembers being provided with relatively fixed stop means positioned toengage said stop member to limit opening movement of said switch.

'7. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidfixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said membershaving a stop member integral therewith, and the other of said membershaving a stop member removably mounted thereon and maintained in aposition to engage the first mentioned stop member during openingmovement of said switch, to limit such opening movement.

8. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidfixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said membershaving a stop member integral therewith, and the other of said membershaving spaced removable stop members positioned to lie on opposite sidesof said first-mentioned stop member in an open position of the switch tolock the switch in said open position.

9. In a switch, the combination of a. fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidfixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said membershaving a stop member inv tegral therewith, and the other of said membershaving spaced mountings each adapted to removably support a stop memberin a position to engage said first-mentioned stop member on openingmovement of the switch so that the opening movement of said switch maybe limited to any of a plurality of open positions, or locked in an openposition dependent upon which of said mountings carry stop members.

10. In a switch,- the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidfixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said membersbeing apertured, a

pin removably supported 'in said aperture and maintained in a positionsuch that it is engageable with a stop carried by the other .of saidmembers to limit opening movement of said switch.

11. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, 9. pair of blade memberspivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, a contact forengaging the other end of said blade members, a projection on said-hingetongue of less width than the space between said blade members, andmeans removably mounted on said blade members to engage said projectionand form a stop for said blade members when in open position.

12. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a-

pair of blade members pivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hingetongue, a contact for engaging the other end of said blade members, aprojection on said hinge tongue of less width than the space betweensaid blade members, a

pair of holes in said blade members adjacent said hinge tongue and a pinremovably positioned in one of said holes and extending between saidblade members to engage said projection when said blade members are inopen position.

13. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, acontact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage saidfixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said membersbeing apertured, apin removably supported in said aperture, relativelyfixed stop means carried by the other of said members, said aperture andstop meansbeing positioned so that in the opening movement of the switchsaid aperture may be selectively positioned on opposite sides of saidstop means, whereby said pin may operate to limit the opening movementof said switch or prevent closing movement thereof.

14. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a pair of blade memberspivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, 2. contactfor engaging the other end of said blade members, a projection on saidhinge tongue extending in the plane of the space between said bladennnebers, and aligned apertures in said blade members adapted to mount astop means in bridging relation with respect to said blade members forcooperation with said projection to limit pivotal movement of said blademembers.

15. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a pair of blade memberspivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, a contact forengaging the other end of said blade members, means removably mounted onsaid blade members in bridging relation with respect thereto, so as toengage a portion of said hinge tongue to limit movement of said blademembers when in an open position.

16. In a switch, a switch blade having a pivot I apertur therethroughand one or more stop apertures adjacent to but spaced from said .pivotaperture.

1'7. In a switch, the combination of a base member, a contact membermovably mounted on said base, stop means relatively fixedly supported byone of said members, and mounting means on the other of said members forremovably supporting cooperating stop means in a position to engage saidfirst mentioned stop means in an open position of said switch.

HERBERT J. CRABBS.

HERBERT L. RAWLINS.

